Mail-bag receiver and deliverer.



` No. 715,78I. l Patented Dec. I6, |902.

w. T FuLToN, E. LEFEVRE a-c. w. coPELANn.

MAIL BAG .RECEIVER AND DELIVERER.

lApplicatio'xx led July 17, 1902.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

(lq Model.)

Nu. 715,781. Patented om la, |902. w.V T. FULTON, la,r LEFEVRE & c. w. coPELA'Nn. MAIL BAG RECEIVER AND DELIVERER.

\Applica.tion led July 17, 1902.)

v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM T. FULTON, EMILE LEFEVRE, AND CHARLES W. COPELAND, OF LEHIGH, INDIAN TERRITORY.

MAIL-BAG RECEIVER AND DELIVERER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters :Patent Ne. 715,781, dated December 16, 1902.

Application tiled Inly 17, 1902.

To a/ZZ whmrt it' m/tty concern.:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM T. FULTON, EMILE LEFEVRE, an d CHARLES W.COPELAND, citizens of the United States, residing at Le- 5 high, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory, have invented a new and useful Mail-Bag Receiver and Deliverer, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for fo transferring mail-bags between the station and the railway mail-car while in motion; and the object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient arrangement of receiving and delivering devices, one of which is t5 located at the'station and the other upon the car, whereby a' mail-bag may be delivered from the station to the car and at the same time another bag delivered from the car to the station without injuryto the bags or their zo contents and without disarranging the apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide the receiving apparatus which is attached to the car with means for yieldably z5 supporting the bag, so that it will be readily released when engaged by the detaching mechanism located at the station without injury to the apparatus or to the bag or its contents.

Another object of the invention is to provide the receiving apparatus which is located at the station with reversible means for yieldably supporting the bag in a position to be delivered to the car moving from either di- 35 rection and also in position to receive the bag from the car moving in either direction.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features will be specific- 4o ally pointed out in the claims following.

` In the drawings illustrative of the invention,Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a mail-car and a portion of the road-bed at one of the stations with the improvements 45 applied. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view, detached, ot`- the mailbag-supporting frame which is attached to the car. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective View, detached, of the combined mailbag-supporting frame and 5o catcher-hook-supporting frame which is located at the station. Fig. 4 is a detached Serial No. 115,994. (No model.)

perspective View of the mail-bag-catching device which is secured to the car.

In apparatus of this character one portion is attached to the car for receiving and delivering bags from and to the station and generally arranged in duplicate and on opposite sides of the car, so as to receive and deliver mail from either side of the car and when running in either direction; but as the devices are all precisely alike except in minor details, one only of this portion of the apparatus is shown attached to the side of the car, which is represented at 10, adjacent to the doorway-opening, which is represented at 11. This part of the apparatus consists of a swinging crane, preferably formed of a single piece and consisting of a vertical portion 12, an upper horizontal portion 13, and a lower horizontal portion 14, the vertical portion` lsupported revolubly upon the side of the car adjacent to the doorway-opening by brackets 15 16 or other suitable means and adapted to swing outward at right angles to the car, as indicated at Fig. 1, or to be withdrawn parallel to and in substantial alinement with the side of the car when not in use. The section 13 will be provided with an operatinghandle 17, preferably pivoted thereto so as t0 fold down out of the way when not in use and operate from within the car.

Stops 18 19 will be attached to the car and adapted to engage the portions 13 and 14 when in their outward position and limit their movement, so that the device will not swing beyond a line at right angles to the car-body.

The outer end of the portion 13 is turned at right angles thereto `and provided with a spring-catch 20, and the portion 14 is preferably bent downward at right angles thereto and has its end bent into horizontal position and is provided with an aperture through which a bolt 21 is movably disposed. The lower end of the bolt will be weighted, as shown at 22, while the upper end is turned off into a hook 23 and provided with a springcatch 24 on the under side of the hook.

The mail-bags to behandled by this apparatus are provided centrally with a strap tightly drawn around them, so as to contract them centrally, as illustrated at 25 26 in Fig. 1, which represents the mail-bags in position IOO to be acted upon, and the mail-bags will be provided with loops 27 at their ends, by which they are suspended from the apparatus.

The upper outturned end of the horizontally-disposed member 13 is adapted to receive one of the loops 27 of the mail-bag which is to be supported therefrom, while the hook 23 is adapted to receive the loop 27 on the opposite end ofthe bag, the weighted bolt 2l drawing downward upon the bag and exerting a sufiicient tensile strain thereon to maintain it in position on the hooks, the spring-catches 20 24 exerting a yieldable force upon the loops 27 to prevent accidental displacement of the bag. Then thus arranged, it will be obvious that a mail-bag may be suspended yieldably between the portions 13 14 of the device and movable therefrom by a force suiicient to overcome the springs 2O 24. Thus when a mail-bag is to be delivered from the car the operator will suspend the bag from the p0rtions 13 14 while the latter are in their withdrawn position, and then when approaching the station at which the bag is to be delivered the device will be projected by the handle 17 in position for the mail-bag to engage the receiving apparatus at the station, as hereinafter explained.

Each of the cars will be provided with a .device adapted to receive the bag which is to be delivered from the station to the car, and this device is illustrated in Fig. 1 and consists in a hook 28, connected to a horizontal bar 29, the latter revolubly supported across the doorway-opening 11 of the car, and with a handle 30 upon the inner end of the hook, by which the latter may be operated. The hook 2S is formed inclining interior-ly and adapted to engage the contracted central portion of the mail-bag and when projected in a horizontal position outward away from the car, as shown in Fig. 1, will be in the path of the mail-bag which is suspended from the apparatus at the station and will thus catch the bag and deliver it into the car, and when not in use the catcher-hook 28 will hang downward in alinement with the side of the car. One end of the bar 29 is connected to the side of the doorway-opening by a bearing 58, which fits in a recess in the car-body, while the other end is reduced in diameter and adapted to engage a cavity 59 in the vertical member 12 of the mail-bag-delivery crane, as shown. The cavity or recess in the car-body is provided with a suitable wearplate to prevent abrasion of the wood of the car-frame. This rod being mounted at one end in the hearing 59 in the vertical member of the crane serves to hold the crane against rotation.

The catcher-hooks are arranged at suitable points on the car and preferably upon both sides thereof, and they are formed right and The station apparatus consists of two parts, one adapted to support the lower ends of the mail-bags which are to be delivered to the car and the other member adapted to support the upper ends of the mail-bags in a position to be delivered to the car and which also carries the device for catching the mail-bags delivered from the car. These members are mounted on suitable supporting-frames located adjacent to the track.

The frame which supports the upper end of the mail-bag to be delivered to the car and which supports the catching apparatus for receiving the bags delivered from the car consists in an arm or bar 31, supported to swing vertically upon a post 32 by means of a keeper 33, said keeper having a transverse portion 34, which projects over the top of the bar, and a transverse pivot 35 passes through the keeper and the bar 31 and holds the said bar in movable position. The outer rear end of the bar 31 is weighted, as at 36, to cause the bar 31 to swing into vertical position when not in use. When the bar 31 is swung into horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 1, the transverse portion 34 of the keeper 33 limits the upward movement thereof, so that it cannot swing above a horizontal plane. To further provide for the vertical disposition of the bar 31 when not in use, the end thereof opposite the weighted end 3G is made shorter, and for the sake of convenience it will be referred to as the short end or bag-supporting end.

The bag-supporting member is movably attached to the short end of the bar 3l and comprises a U -shaped frame 37, pivoted centrally of its base at 38 to the bar 31 near its end in position to swing horizontally thereon. Attached to the bar 31, adjacent to the inner side member of the U-frame 37 when the frame is in alinement with the bar 31, is a yieldable latch 39, having lugs 40, adapted to engage the U-frame and hold it normally in alinement with the said bar 31, as shown in Fig. 1. The latch 39 extendsbelow the lower edge of the bar 31 andis weighted at its lower end to cause it to act by gravity. By this means the U-shaped frame 37 will be held firmly in horizontal alinement with the bar 3l and will be readily reversible in position on said bar, as the latch 39 is adapted to engage the opposite sides of the U-frame alternately when said frame is swung on its pivot into position for engagement by said latch.

The upper ends of the legs of the U-frame are bent at right angles and extended in opposite directions, forming arms 41 and 42, the extremities of which are turned oit at right angles, as shown at 43 and 44, and are provided with pivoted arms 45 and 46, extending from these turned-off portions. These pivoted members 45 and 46 are designed to engage the upper loops 27 of the mail-bag which is to be delivered to the car, as will hereinafter be more fully explained.

Extending across and attached to the U- IOO IIO

frame 37 is a bar 47, terminating on opposite sides of the U-frame in mail-catching hooks 48 49, similar to the hooks 28 on the car. The hooks 48 49 will be disposed reversely to the pivoted supports 45 46, as shown, the object to be hereinafter explained.

The part of the station apparatus which supports the lower end of the mailbags which are to be delivered from the station to the car consists of spaced rods 50 51, slidably supported in a vertical position in a frame 52 in vertical alinement with the outer ends of the pivoted supports 45 46 when the latter are projected by the operation of the bar 37, the supports 45 46 adapted to be alternately set in alinement with the rods 50 51 by the reversion of the U -frame-thatis to say, when the U-frame is in one position the support 45 will be in vertical alinement with the rod 50, and when the U'frame is reversed the support 46 will be in alinement with the rod 5l. The upper ends of the rods 50 51 will be provided, respectively, with horizontal hooks 53 54, and each rod will be weighted, respectively, at its lower end, as indicated at 55 56, as shown in Fig. 1, to exert a sufficient tensile strain downward upon the bags to support them in position, but which will yield to t the force necessary to release the bags when the catch-hook 28 engages them. The rods 50 5l may be supported in any suitable position and by any suitable supporting means; but the supporting means will preferably be an inclosed casing, as shown, to shield the rods and serve as guides to secure their proper action.

The hooks 53 54 are intended to engage the lower loop 27 of the mail-bag which is to be delivered to the car, as illustrated in Fig. l, and by having two of the bars 50 51 and two of the supports 45 46 reversibly arranged the mail-bag may be supported in a position to be delivered to the car when moving in either direction, as will be obvious.

When the car is moving in the direction indicated by the arrowin Fig. 1, theU-frame will be set so that the support 46 will point in the direction in which the car is moving, and the hook 53 will likewise be pointing in the same direction, so that the hook 28 on the car will engage the mail-bag snpportedby the loops 27 upon the above-mentioned support and hook and remove it readily therefrom and transfer itv to the car. lf, however, the car is moving in the opposite direction, the U-frame will be reversed in position, which will bring the other` support 45 in alinement with the other hook 54, so that the hook 28 on the car will remove the mail-bag in the saine manner and transfer it to the car. Thus the 13 14 on the car, as will be obvious. By arranging the catcher-hooks 48 49 in reversed position to the supports 45 46 it will be obvious that the catcher-hooks may be employed to detach a mail-bag from the support on the car at the same time that the catcher-hook on the car engages the bag supported by the station apparatus and transfer it to the car.

If a mail-bag is to be delivered from the station to the car and no mail-bag is to be delivered from the car to the station, then the catcher-hooks 011 the station apparatus will be inactive, but their presence will in no Way interfere with the delivery of the bag from the station to the car, and the reverse will be true if a bag is to be delivered from the car to the station and no bag delivered from/the station to the car, as in that case that portion of the station apparatuswhich delivers the bags to the car will be inactive, but will not interfere with the action of the other parts of the apparatus.

Thus the apparatus is capable 0f being used in all the various ways required in delivering and receiving mail.

Between the post-s 32 and the housing 52 a suitable platform 57 will be arranged for the use of the operator in attaching the mail-bags to the apparatus which are to be delivered to the car and also in removing the mail-bags from the catcher-hooks 48 or 49, as the case may be. 1

The proportions of the different parts of the apparatus may be modified and changed as required and the apparatus itselfmay be modified in minor details without departing from the principle of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is- 1. In a mail-bag receiving and delivering apparatus, a frame carrying reverselydisposed indepenent holders for engaging one end of the mail-bag, and means for reversibly supporting said frame alternately in its two positions, substantially as described.

2. In a mail-bag receiving and delivering apparatus, a frame carying reversely-disposed independent holders for frictionally engaging one end of the mail-bag, means for reversibly supporting said frame, and a catch disposed to engage said frame and hold it in either of its adjusted positions, substantially as described.

3. In a mail-bag receiving and delivering apparatus, a frame carrying reversely-disposed independent holders for frictionally engaging one end of the mail-bag, means for reversibly supporting said frame, and mailbag-catching hooks connected to said frame and disposed reversibly to said holders, substantially as described.

4. In a mail-bag receiving and delivering apparatus, a frame carrying reversely-disposed independent holders for frictionally engaging one end of the mail-bag, means for reversibly supporting said frame alternately in roo its two positions,and vertically-movable holders adapted to frictionally engage the other end of the mailbag, substantially as described.

5. In a mail-bag receiving and delivering apparatus, a frame carrying reversely-disposed independent holders for frictionally engaging one end of the mail-bag, means for reversibly supporting said frame,and verticallymovable holders adapted to frictionally engage the other end of the mail-bag, substantially as described.

6. In a mail-bag receiving and delivering apparatus, a vertically-swinging bar, a frame carrying reversely disposed independent holders for frictionally engaging one end of the mail-bags and reversibly supported upon said bar, and means for movably retaining said frame alternately in its two positions, substantially as described.

7. In a mail-bag receiving and delivering apparatus, a delivery device consisting of a vertically-swinging bar, a frame carrying reversely-disposed independent holders for frictionally engaging one end of the mail-bag, and movably connected reversibly to said bar near one end, and vertically-movable holders adapted to frictionally engage the other end of the mail-bag, substantially as described.

8. In amail-bag receiving and delivering apparatus, a vertically-swinging bar, a frame carrying reversely disposed independent holders for frictionally engaging the loops at one end ot the mail-bags and reversely supported upon said bar, means for movably retaining said frame alternately in its two positions, and mail-bag-catching hooks connected to said frame and disposed reversely to said holders, substantially as described.

9. In a mail-bag receiving and delivering apparatus, a frame carrying reversely-disposed independent holders for frictionallyengaging one end of the mail-bag, means for reversely supporting said frame alternately in its two positions, and holders adapted to engage the other end of the mail-bag, said holders formed of rods vertically movable and weighted at their lower ends, whereby a tensile strain is exerted upon the mail-bag when supported in said frame, substantially as described.

10. In a mail-bag receiving and delivering apparatus, a vertical post, a bracket supported upon said post and provided with a transversestop, a bar supported in said bracket and movable vertically therein and adapted to engage said stop when in its horizontal po- `sition, whereby the movement of said bar is limited, a weight upon one end of said bar, and a frame carrying reversely-disposed independent holders for frictionally engaging one end of the mail-bag reversibly supported movably upon the opposite end of said bar, substantially as described.

11. In a mail-bag receiving and delivering apparatus, a supporting-platform, a post supported vertically at one side of said platform,

a vertical casing at the opposite side of said platform, a bar movablysupported upon said post with one end weighted and the other end vertically movable transversely of said platform, reversely-disposed holders for engaging one end of the mail-bag and movably supported reversely upon said bar and adapted to be projected across said casing, and holders movable vertically in said casing and adapted to engage the other end of the mailbag, substantially as described.

12. In a mail-bag receiving and delivering apparatus, a delivering device provided with reversely-disposed independent holders adapted to alternately engage one end of the mail-bag frictionally, and having a movement at right angles to the direction of movement of the mail-receiving devices, and a holder adapted to be frictionally engaged by the other end of the mail-bag and movable toward and away from said reversible holders, and adapted to exert a longitudinal strain upon the mail-bag,substantially as described.

13. In a mail-bag receiving and delivering apparatus, a bar supported to swing vertically and having a weight at one end, a frame having its upper end extended in opposite directions and provided with independent reversely-disposed holders adapted to frictionally engage one end of the mail-bag and supported to swing in a horizontal plane upon the other end of said bar, and means carried by said bar for supporting said frame alternately in its two positions, substantially as described.

14. In a mail-bag receiving and delivering apparatus, a delivering device provided with reversely-disposed independent holders adapted to frictionally engage one end of the mail-bag and having a movement at right angles to the direction of movement of the mailreceiving devices, and a yieldable means frictionally engaging the opposite end of the mail-bag, and adapted to exert a longitudinal strain thereon, substantially as described.

15. In a inail-bag receiving and delivering apparatus, a frame supported to swing in a horizontal plane and with the upper end extended in opposite directions and provided with reversely-disposed independent holders for alternately engaging one end of the mailbag, and a catch disposed to engage said frame and support it alternately in its two positions, substantially as described.

16. In a mail-bag receiving and delivering apparatus, a frame supported to swing in a horizontal plane and with the upper end extended in opposite directions and provided with reversely-disposed independent holders for alternately engaging one end of the mailbag, a catch disposed to engage said frame and support it alternately in its two positions, yieldable means frictionally engaging the opposite end of the mail-bag and adapted to exert a longitudinal strain thereon, and spaced mail -bag catching hooks carried by said IOO IIO

frame and disposed reversely to said holders, substantially as described.

17. In a inail-bag receiving and delivering apparatus, a frame supported to swing in a horizontal plane and with the upper end extended in opposite directions and provided with reversely-disposed independent holders for frictionally engaging one end of the mailbag, and yieldable means frictionally engaging the opposite end of the mailbag and adapted to exert a longitudinal strain thereon, substantially as described.

18. In a mail-bag receiving and delivering apparatus, reversely disposed independent holders yieldable laterally and adapted to frictionally engage one end of the mail-bag, and yieldable means for frictionallyengaging the opposite end of the mail-bag and exerting a longitudinal strain thereon, substantially as described.

19. In a mail-bag receiving and delivering apparatus, a frame supported to swing in a horizontal plane with its upper end extended in opposite directions with the extremities of said extensions projecting horizontally, and laterally-movable holders carried by said projections and adapted to alternately support one end of the mail-bag frictionally, and yieldable means frictionally engaging the opposite end of the mail-bag and exerting a longitudinal strain thereon, substantially as described.

20. In a mail-bag receiving and delivering apparatus, a frame supported to swing in a horizontal plane with its upper end extended in opposite directions with the extremities of said extensions projecting horizontally, independent holders engaging said extensions by oneend and swinging laterally by their other ends and adapted to frictionally engage one end of a mail-bag, and yieldable means frictionally engaging the opposite end of the mail-bag and exerting a longitudinal strain thereon, substantially as described.

21.v In a mail-bag receiving and delivering apparatus, a delivering device consisting of a crane movably supported upon the mail-car and adapted to swing in a horizontal plane, and having onevend extended horizontally in a direction opposite to the movement of the car and adapted to frictionally engage one end of the mail-bag, anda weighted bolt supported movably in the other end of said crane and having a horizontally-disposed holder adapted to frictionally engage the opposite end of the mail-bag and exert a longitudinal strain thereon, substantially as described.

22. In a mail-bag receiving and delivering apparatus, a delivering device consisting of an arm extended parallel with the direction of movement of the car and provided with means for engaging the upper end of a mailbag, said delivering device having a sliding weighted rod provided with means for engaging the lower end of the mail-bag and exerting a tensile strain thereon.

23. In a mail-bag receiving and delivering apparatus, a delivery device having a rotatable vertically-disposed member provided with means for engaging the opposite ends of a mail-bag, a bearing in said vertical member, and a revoluble rod having one end mounted in said bearing for preventing the rotation thereof, and the other end mounted in a bearing in the car.

24. In a mail-bag receiving and delivering apparatus, a receiving device having a swinging crane movably supported upon the mailcar and adapted to swing in a horizontal plane and with one end extented horizontally in a direction opposite to the movement of the car aud provided with a spring-clip and adapted to frictionally engage one end of a mail-bag, and a weighted bolt movably engaging the other end of said crane with its upper end extended horizontally and provided with a spring-clip and adapted to frictionally engage the other end of said mail-bag, substantially as described.

25. In a mail-bag receiving and delivering apparatus, a frame carrying reversely-disposed independent holders having sprin g-slips and adapted to be frictionally engaged alternately to one end of the mail-bag, and yieldable means frictionally engaging the opposite end of the mail-bag and adapted to'exert a longitudinal strain thereon, substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM- T. FULTON. EMILE LEFEVRE. CHARLES W. COPELAND.

Witnesses:

A. T. WEST, ELL TINK. 

